Genesis 31:20
Genesis 31:20 in Multiple Translations
Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean.
Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was going to run away.
Thus Iaakob stole away ye heart of Laban the Aramite: for he told him not that he fled.
and Jacob deceiveth the heart of Laban the Aramaean, because he hath not declared to him that he is fleeing;
Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was about to depart.
And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.
Furthermore, Jacob deceived Laban, who belonged to the Aram people-group, by not telling him that they were planning to leave.
But Jacob tricked Laban, he didn’t tell Laban that he left. Laban belonged to the Aram tribe, and his country was called Paddan Aram.
Berean Amplified Bible — Genesis 31:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Genesis 31:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יִּגְנֹ֣ב
יַעֲקֹ֔ב
אֶת
לֵ֥ב
לָבָ֖ן
הָ/אֲרַמִּ֑י
עַל
בְּלִי֙
הִגִּ֣יד
ל֔/וֹ
כִּ֥י
בֹרֵ֖חַ
הֽוּא
וַ/יִּגְנֹ֣ב
gânab
H1589
to steal
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
יַעֲקֹ֔ב
Yaʻăqôb
H3290
Jacob
N-proper
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
לֵ֥ב
lêb
H3820
heart
N-ms
לָבָ֖ן
Lâbân
H3837
Laban
N-proper
הָ/אֲרַמִּ֑י
ʼĂrammîy
H761
Aramean
Art | Ngmsa
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
בְּלִי֙
bᵉlîy
H1097
without
Part
הִגִּ֣יד
nâgad
H5046
to tell
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms
ל֔/וֹ
Prep | Suff
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
בֹרֵ֖חַ
bârach
H1272
to flee
V-Qal
הֽוּא
hûwʼ
H1931
he/she/it
Pron
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Genesis 31:20
וַ/יִּגְנֹ֣ב
gânab
H1589
"to steal"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
To steal means to take something secretly, whether physically or by deceiving someone. This can happen in various ways, as described in different Bible stories.
Definition: 1) to steal, steal away, carry away 1a) (Qal) to steal 1b) (Niphal) to be stolen 1c) (Piel) to steal away 1d)(Pual) to be stolen away, be brought by stealth 1e) (Hithpael) to go by stealth, steal away
Usage: Occurs in 36 OT verses. KJV: carry away, [idiom] indeed, secretly bring, steal (away), get by stealth. See also: Genesis 30:33; Joshua 7:11; Proverbs 6:30.
יַעֲקֹ֔ב
Yaʻăqôb
H3290
"Jacob"
N-proper
This word is the name of a person, Jacob, a key figure in the Bible. He was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the father of many tribes of Israel. The KJV simply translates it as Jacob.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 12 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel
Usage: Occurs in 319 OT verses. KJV: Jacob. See also: Genesis 25:26; Genesis 34:1; Psalms 14:7.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
לֵ֥ב
lêb
H3820
"heart"
N-ms
Leb refers to the heart, but also represents feelings, will, and intellect in the Bible. It is used figuratively to describe the center of something, and is often translated as heart or mind. Leb is a complex concept that encompasses emotions and thoughts.
Definition: 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage
Usage: Occurs in 552 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom] themselves, [idiom] unawares, understanding, [idiom] well, willingly, wisdom. See also: Genesis 6:5; 2 Samuel 13:33; Psalms 4:8.
לָבָ֖ן
Lâbân
H3837
"Laban"
N-proper
Refers to Laban, a person in the Bible, or a place in the desert where the Israelites camped.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.24.29; son of: Bethuel (H1328A); brother of: Rebekah (H7259); father of: Rachel (H7354) and Leah (H3812) § Laban = "white" son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah, and father of Leah and Rachel
Usage: Occurs in 47 OT verses. KJV: Laban. See also: Genesis 24:29; Genesis 30:40; Deuteronomy 1:1.
הָ/אֲרַמִּ֑י
ʼĂrammîy
H761
"Aramean"
Art | Ngmsa
An Aramean is someone from Aram, a region in Syria. This Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe people from this area, including in Genesis and 1 Kings. The KJV translates it as Syrian or Aramitess.
Definition: Someone from Aram Group of pad.dan (פַּדָּן "Paddan" H6307) § Syrian or Aramean = "exalted" a thing or a person from Syria or Aram
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: Syrian, Aramitess. See also: Genesis 25:20; 2 Kings 5:20; 1 Chronicles 7:14.
עַל
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
בְּלִי֙
bᵉlîy
H1097
"without"
Part
This word means without or nothing, often used for negation. It appears in various forms, such as without or not yet, in the Old Testament.
Definition: subst 1) wearing out adv of negation 2) without, no, not
Usage: Occurs in 57 OT verses. KJV: corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without. See also: Genesis 31:20; Job 38:41; Psalms 19:4.
הִגִּ֣יד
nâgad
H5046
"to tell"
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms
To tell or declare something openly, as in Genesis 3:11 where God asks Adam to tell the truth. It means to stand boldly and announce something to someone present. In Exodus 32:27, Moses tells the Levites to declare their actions to the people.
Definition: 1) to be conspicuous, tell, make known 1a) (Hiphil) to tell, declare 1a1) to tell, announce, report 1a2) to declare, make known, expound 1a3) to inform of 1a4) to publish, declare, proclaim 1a5) to avow, acknowledge, confess 1a5a) messenger (participle) 1b) (Hophal) to be told, be announced, be reported
Usage: Occurs in 344 OT verses. KJV: bewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter. See also: Genesis 3:11; 1 Samuel 14:33; 2 Kings 9:15.
ל֔/וֹ
""
Prep | Suff
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
בֹרֵ֖חַ
bârach
H1272
"to flee"
V-Qal
To flee means to run away quickly, as seen in the Bible when people escaped from danger or pursued others, like in the story of David and Absalom.
Definition: 1) to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, pass through 1a2) to flee 1a3) to hasten, come quickly 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to pass through 1b2) to cause to flee, put to flight 1b3) to drive away
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: chase (away); drive away, fain, flee (away), put to flight, make haste, reach, run away, shoot. See also: Genesis 16:6; 1 Kings 11:17; Psalms 3:1.
הֽוּא
hûwʼ
H1931
"he/she/it"
Pron
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Definition: pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)
Usage: Occurs in 1693 OT verses. KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who. See also: Genesis 2:11; Genesis 32:19; Exodus 21:3.
Study Notes — Genesis 31:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Genesis 31:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Genesis 31:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 31:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
- Cambridge Bible on Genesis 31:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
Context — Jacob Flees from Laban
18and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.
19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.
21So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. 22On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.Genesis 31:20 Summary
[In Genesis 31:20, we see that Jacob made a choice to deceive Laban by not telling him he was leaving. This was not an honest or transparent decision, and it led to trouble and conflict. We can learn from Jacob's mistake by being honest and truthful in our own relationships, as encouraged in Ephesians 4:25. By trusting in God and being truthful, we can avoid the kind of trouble that Jacob faced.]
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jacob deceive Laban by not telling him he was running away?
Jacob deceived Laban because he was afraid of his reaction, as seen in Genesis 31:20, and also because he had lost trust in Laban due to his repeated breaches of their agreement, as mentioned in Genesis 29:15-30 and Genesis 30:25-43.
What does it mean that Jacob 'deceived' Laban?
In this context, 'deceived' means that Jacob did not tell Laban the truth about his intentions to leave, as stated in Genesis 31:20, which is similar to how Abraham deceived Pharaoh in Genesis 12:13-20 by not telling him the whole truth about his wife Sarah.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the story of Jacob and Laban?
This verse is a pivotal moment in the story of Jacob and Laban, as it marks the beginning of Jacob's journey back to Canaan, as seen in Genesis 31:18, and sets the stage for the confrontation between Jacob and Laban in Genesis 31:22-55.
What can we learn from Jacob's actions in this verse?
We can learn that honesty and transparency are important in our relationships, as seen in Ephesians 4:25 and Colossians 3:9-10, and that deception can lead to trouble and conflict, as seen in the consequences of Jacob's actions in Genesis 31:22-55.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I might be deceiving others, and how can I be more honest and transparent in my relationships?
- How do I respond when I feel afraid or threatened, and what can I learn from Jacob's response in this situation?
- What are some times when I have had to make a difficult decision, like Jacob did in this verse, and how did I choose to handle it?
- How can I trust God to guide me and protect me, even in difficult situations like the one Jacob faced in this verse?
Gill's Exposition on Genesis 31:20
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian,.... Went away without his knowledge, or giving him any notice of it; he was too cunning for Laban the Syrian; notwithstanding his astrology and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 31:20
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. Jacob stole away unawares - literally, deceived the mind of Laban.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
Heb. Stole away the heart of Laban, to wit, his daughters, his cattle, and his gods, upon which his heart was vehemently set, as Micah’ s was, . But if this had been meant, it had been imputed to Rachel, and not to Jacob, who knew nothing of the gods. Or rather, stole away from the heart, & c., the Hebrew eth being put for meeth, as 49:25 , compared with , i.e. without the knowledge and consent of Laban, which sense is confirmed by the words next following, and by ,27, and by the like use of the phrase, . Thus he fled, because he knew Laban’ s selfish, and unrighteous, and cruel disposition, that he would always hinder him from departing, either by fraudulent pretences or by open force, nor suffer so great a diminution in that estate, which he thought one time or other he might in good measure recover to himself.
Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
Genesis 31:20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.Ver. 20. And Jacob stole away.] God’ s saints are put upon the use of such means sometimes, for their own safety, as render them contemptible to worldly men; all whose contumelies they can bravely bear, so long as their consciences clear and cheer them: yea, they can rejoice and say, It is a mercy they know no worse by me. It is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the body, when it is in man, from being unsavoury to others. But it is a greater work of God to keep the filth of the soul, that is so unsavoury to him, from the knowledge of those that wait all occasions to blaze and blaspheme us.
Ellicott's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
(20) Jacob stole away unawares.—Heb., stole the heart. But the heart was regarded by the Hebrews as the seat of the intellect, and so to steal a man’s understanding, like the similar phrase in Greek, means to elude his observation.
Cambridge Bible on Genesis 31:20
20. stole away, &c.] Heb. stole the heart of Laban the Aramean. Cf. Genesis 31:26. Jacob outwitted Laban; fled secretly, and got three days’ start. For the phrase, cf. the Greek κλέπτειννοῦν, “to steal the mind,” i.e. to deceive; see 2 Samuel 15:6.
Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 31:20
20. Stole away unawares to Laban — Hebrews, stole the heart of Laban. There is a play on the words heart and Laban — stole the Leb-Laban. Rachel stole the teraphim, Jacob the heart, of Laban.